Guild Leader Noona (2)

“How about 1 billion?”

The Guild Leader spoke lightly, as if suggesting we grab a meal together.

Stunned, I just stared blankly at her, and she flashed a charming smile.

Her hair swept back, revealing her graceful neck.

Wow, she’s unbelievably beautiful…
No, no, that’s not what’s important right now.

“Uh, um, eh? Eh?”

“I figured 1 billion would be enough.”

The Guild Leader continued her explanation in detail.

The value of the “Trial.”

The place where the ‘Pearl Spitting Tortoise,’ a rare boss, was located had value.

And though it had disappeared, there were testimonies of the [Sacred Tree] and its future value.

“The [Heavenly Dragon fruit]. It’s an item that even conglomerates are desperate to acquire, enough to use force if necessary.”

That was true.

Even in ‘GAL,’ if you possess the [Heavenly Dragon Fruit] without consuming it.
A daughter of an unnamed rich family appears, threatening to expose everything.

“Who knows? We might get lucky and the [Sacred Tree] might appear again? Just one could easily fetch us hundreds of millions.”

…That’s not right, the Sacred Tree only appears once and never again.

This has been proven by numerous experiments conducted by ‘players’.

“And it’s the same with the Pearl Spitting Tortoise. There might be its offspring, and it’s a lake where a spiritual creature lived. It could be used as a pilgrimage site by clerics of the sacred order.”

Cough, that’s not right…
Once the Pearl Spitting Tortoise disappears, the lake just becomes a stinky, green latte-like pond.

“And looking at the log… there seems to be an unusually large number of forests. There’s also anticipation for resources.”

Ah, that’s not right… All those forests were maintained by the Pearl Spitting Tortoise’s magic.
They would dry up and disappear over time…

“So, we estimate it to be about 1 billion in total. What do you think, Mr. Yu Seha?”

“Uh, um, uh…”

―What are you hesitating for? Just sell it already! It’s not like you’re deceiving anyone, and it will take over 10 years for the Garden of the Pearl Spitting Tortoise to change like that anyway! You’ll reap more than enough benefits by then!

I heard the voice of the devil inside me.

It certainly made sense.

To me and Meowi, any risks were trivial compared to the profit of 1 billion.

I just had to not tell the truth to the Guild Leader in front of me.

Later, I could just pretend I didn’t know.

With an impression as cunning as a thousand-year-old fox.
If I could just ignore this ‘I’m nice~’ appearance written all over this woman’s face.

‘…Sigh.’

Damn it.
Would that really suit my personality?

‘Damn it.’

I once again became aware of the familiar sense of déjà vu approaching.

When I first met the female employee at the counter.

When I encountered Ma Hana and Moon Bora.

When I met Im Hyeja.

And now, feeling the same sensation I felt when I saw the Vice Guild Leader waiting outside the door.

Something that tickles deep inside a person’s heart.

Something I felt when I first played ‘GAL’.

Normally, I would have ignored it, but suddenly, this feeling had made its way to my throat.

“…Gulp.“

I guess I’ve become too soft since I came here.

No, maybe I just turned into a fool.

But what could I do?

Since she kept insisting, I had to follow along.

As I remained silent, the Guild Leader seemed to misunderstand in a different way.

She smirked slightly and shrugged her shoulders.

After gulping down the coffee she was holding, she quietly set it down and continued.

“It seems 1 billion is too little after all. Then, 1.1 billion…”
“100 million.”
“…?”
“100 million is enough.”
“…Wh-what?”

I declared that I would not take more money than that.

At this, Meowi, who couldn’t keep up with the conversation, opened her mouth in surprise.

And.

“…Huh?”

The Guild Leader in front of me was the same.

The Guild Leader had a stunned face.

I quietly thought as I looked at her.

Indeed, this world was [Gonis Archive Life].

‘…There are too many good people.’

Many people often say that humans are both good and evil.

They try to divide them into these two categories, but humans as beings are not so simple to be dichotomized like that.

Everyone has diverse and unique characteristics called personalities.

They also follow contradictory emotions within them.
They might change their opinions as easily as flipping a coin at times.
They also have dualities, like showing completely different sides to different people.

That’s what humans are.

However, in ‘GAL’, there were many who were divided so definitively that it could be called polarization.

It wasn’t that there were no evil ones.

There were many villains who were not worthy of anything less than the title of the worst criminals, just based on the ones appearing in the story.

Conversely, there were also many who could be called good, enough to be deemed virtuous in character.

‘Meowi is the same too, and Moon Bora as well.’

Most likely, the Guild Leader before me belonged to that category as well.

It might be a hasty prejudice of mine, but having played ‘GAL’ extensively in the past, I’ve gotten quite good at estimating such things.

The reason this was possible was likely because the essence and core of [Gonis Archive Life] was [Beautiful Girl Gacha Game].

A place based on a bright world full of dreams and hope.

That’s the biggest reason why I love and cherish ‘GAL’.

I’m not a saint.

Just like Meowi or Moon Bora, I was only truly devoted to the characters I raised.

The rest were just there.

Honestly, it didn’t really matter how things turned out.

But this place was the world I, as a Supervisor, had always dreamed of.

And this was the world where my most beloved characters existed.

‘At least if I am the Supervisor…’

If I were to lead those who trusted me.

‘…I should show as much goodwill to the good people.’

Even if I were called a fool, a pushover, or stupid in the eyes of others.

I didn’t want to show vile evil against the world of ‘GAL.’

“100 million… you say?”

“Yes.”

“…Excuse me, but don’t you need money?”

Money? Yes, I needed it.

I needed a lot of it.

Meowi’s equipment and my own would easily cost tens of billions to upgrade.

And the elixirs that were good for the body and health would cost even more.

Hunting alone wouldn’t cover the cost of the [Skills] and [Trait] runes I’d need, which were going to be incredibly expensive.

‘But I can gain them if I work hard.’

There were plenty of ways to grow.

‘…No, they’re all just excuses.’

I just didn’t want to deceive this person in front of me.

“All the things I mentioned earlier are not feasible, Guild Leader.”

“…What?”

“The [Sacred Tree] is a reward that only appears systemically. It’s not a natural structure, so it won’t appear again, and the [Heavenly Dragon Fruit] will also be unobtainable for a while.”

“……”

I continued to explain to her.

After the Pearl Spitting Tortoise had disappeared, the forest would gradually become barren.

And the only rewards left would be from insignificant [Fish-type] monsters.

“In other words, it’s a place of no value.”
“……”
“So 100 million should be enough.”
“Pfft.”

Huh?

That’s when it happened.

The Guild Leader, who had been listening, covered her mouth with the back of her hand and chuckled softly, “Hehehe…”

The Guild Leader laughed so hard that tears almost formed in her eyes.

I couldn’t understand the situation and stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.

Then our eyes met.

Just like before, the Guild Leader was smiling brightly.

However, the feeling was strangely different.

It wasn’t the business-like smile she had when dealing with customers earlier.

The curve drawn at the corners of her mouth was deeper, and the emotions welling up in her eyes flickered.

It was as if she found this so adorable that she didn’t know what to do with me.

‘…Uh, that face…’

It felt like… the way I look at my characters.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yu Seha. I couldn’t hold it in any longer… Could you forgive me for my rudeness?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I understand what you’re saying. I see. It seems I’ve teased Mr. Yu Seha too much, right? I never dreamed that someone so kind and… cute could exist in our world. You look like you could have made many women cry, right?”

“…Eh?”

“I knew all the things you mentioned earlier.”

“…Huh???”

The Guild Leader unfolded her crossed legs and propped her face with her hands.

“Despite appearances, I have maintained the position of Guild Leader for many years. I have a knack for discerning whether a ‘Trial’ is worthwhile or not.”

“…So, then…”

“Yes, the valuation of Garden of Pearl Spitting Tortoise was just an excuse I used. I’m well aware that there are no resources worth mining there, and that managing it would actually be a loss.”

“Then why?”

“Hmm…”

At my question, the Guild Leader gave a mysterious smile.

Then she stood up.

Thud.

“…uh, Guild Leader?”

“I thought this place would be comfortable.”

She just sat down right next to me.

With three of us sitting at the same level, it was incredibly cramped, but the Guild Leader, unconcerned, pressed her upper body against mine and continued speaking.

Um, excuse me?
Uh, that… It’s touching me…?

“From here on, it’s training time. Mr. Yu Seha, do you know what forces are considered to have a powerful influence in this world?”

Forces, huh…

“Uh, the ‘Gonis Hunter Academy’, ‘Hunter Association’, ‘Four Great Clans’, ‘Order’, ‘Villains’, ‘Mines’. Roughly like that, isn’t it?”

“That’s correct. Let’s set aside Villains and Mines for now. It gets too complicated if we consider them too.”

The Guild Leader said.

Entities that collaborate and constantly seek to wreak havoc in this world.

That’s what the groups of Mines and Villains were.

Therefore, the remaining four places that continuously monitor, reject, and execute them were collaborating.

“But that doesn’t mean they get along well.”

The Academy and the Association once joined hands to usher in a golden age, but that’s an old story now.

“Now, they just prepare to bite each other’s backs as they keep each other in check.”

“…Clans too?”

“Yes, the Clans too. Often, the masterminds behind the mysterious terror attacks that are blamed on Miners or Villains in the news are actually the Clans. Of course, it could be the other way around, too.”

I was surprised.

Because it had never been described in detail in ‘GAL’.

“Ordinary hunters wouldn’t know. It’s a power struggle and a fight for influence after all… far from a simple test of strength.”

“Ah…”

“And the last faction, the Order, is also a problem. I’ve heard there’s been some discord with the Academy lately.”

“Uh, why?”

Within the Academy, there was a ‘Holy’ educational corps called the “Sisterhood,” sponsored by the Order.

Why would they not get along then?

Then, the Guild Leader made it clear with a simple remark.

“The Order despises those without divinity.”

“…Ah.”

Right.
Now that you mention it, I remember.

In ‘GAL,’ if you form a party with characters who lack [Divinity].
You could end up clashing with Order NPCs, or in the worst case, trigger a fight event.

Conversely, if there was even a little divinity, neutrality was given, and they would often turn friendly, willing to accommodate even difficult requests.

That’s why I was so pleased when my reward increased my Holiness by +1.

“As you may know, Mr. Yu Seha, divinity is a power reserved for the chosen people, almost miraculous in nature. Whether one catches the eye of a god or not. Whether one overcomes dungeons or trials related to divinity or not. Or whether one is simply born with it or not, and so on. In a way, the talent required of a hunter is cruelly trivial. Therefore, the ‘Order’ considers itself chosen and shuns those without [Divinity]. This is quite a significant social issue.”

“…Ah.”

“Therefore, these four forces are essentially cooperating out of necessity for a greater cause. It’s not that they join hands because they like each other.”

The guild leader spoke as if she had experienced some unpleasant events before.

Especially regarding the Order.

“…It’s quite a story. Therefore, these four forces exert great effort on their status and appearance. And this status includes [Trials] too.”

“…Huh?”

As I tilted my head, the Guild Leader glanced around cautiously.

Seeming a bit embarrassed, she muttered, ‘Um…’

Then stuck out her tongue and giggled, ‘Hehe~’

“Please don’t go around saying I told you this. To put it simply… only the Association uniquely lacks a personal [Trial].”

“…Ah!”

Only then did I realize the Guild Leader’s intention.
And why she had told me this historical story.

“So then…”

“Yes, things like difficulty or value aren’t really important. It’s the fact that it is an undiscovered Trial that has not been found until now. And it’s important that you, Mr. Yu Seha, and Miss Ma Hana, who joined as part of the guild, were the first to clear this place. It’s because we have one more card to play in the regularly gathering factions.”

Hehe… crazy.

‘Hmm…’

I sipped my coffee and thought with a bitter taste lingering in my mouth.

In simple terms, it was like the only woman in a group of four ill-tempered women who didn’t have a designer bag, now saying, ‘I have one too?’

‘…Ha.’

It was somewhat embarrassing.

I think I now understand why the Guild Leader treated me like a novice before.

To this person, who had been through many battles, it must have seemed like nothing more than cute behavior.

“Let’s return to the discussion of the price. How does 2 billion sound?”

“Cough!”

I barely managed to swallow the coffee I was drinking and stared blankly.

“It’s my way of showing gratitude to Mr. Yu Seha for being honest. I was planning to offer this much from the start.”

“…Ah, so you called for a fifty-fifty split from the beginning…”

“That’s the basics of business, isn’t it? Start by throwing out half the price, then slowly raise it. Pretty simple, right?”

Hmm, 2 billion.

2 billion…

I looked at Meowi for a moment.

“…Meow, Meow? Nyaaa…”

Meowi, who had been unable to follow the conversation, looked somewhat foolishly disheveled.

I stroked her head a few times, deep in thought.

Sorry, Meowi.

But it seemed my initial thought was right about this.

“…Let’s make it 1 billion.”

“…What? Why…? I explained everything to you.”

“Even if you are the Guild Leader, it would be troublesome if 2 billion won were to suddenly disappear, wouldn’t it? People might say a lot of things; isn’t that a lack of negotiation skills for a Guild Leader? Surely, the details of this transaction… It will go up to the Director General, right?”

“……”

The Guild Leader looked slightly surprised, perhaps struck by the point made.

“That’s true, but then my heart.”

“Then instead, please take care of me and our Meowi for 1 billion won.”

“…!”

“That kind of favor is okay, right?”

I smiled faintly at the surprised Guild Leader, just as she had done.